Automated spectrum management databases and algorithms have
reached a tipping point globally and are the critical public policy tool to
achieve low-cost and ultra-fast wireless broadband connectivity as both
consumer and business demand surges, according to the Dynamic Spectrum
Alliance’s (DSA) new policy research report, Automated Frequency Coordination: An Established Tool for Modern
Spectrum Management.

The report, which will be released today at an event
co-sponsored by the Congressional Spectrum Caucus, finds that automated
frequency coordination (AFC) systems are the key to unlocking unused spectrum
capacity by automatically searching databases for which radio frequencies are
available for wireless devices to use at a given location and time.

Databases have been used to manage large scale
telecommunications systems for nearly five decades; while AFC systems exist in
over a dozen countries worldwide, and manage spectrum from the low UHF bands
all the way up to millimetre wave bands currently targeted for 5G applications.
The report details the integral role that AFC systems play in making wireless
connectivity more accessible, fast and affordable through the efficient
allocation of national spectrum resources.

The key conclusions from the DSA White Paper include:

Automated spectrum management systems have been widely
adopted, and the number of radios managed by these systems is expected to
increase significantly over the next decade.

AFC will greatly expand the supply of wireless connectivity
that is fast becoming a critical input for most industries and economic
activity.

AFC enables lower transaction costs while enabling spectrum
to be used more efficiently.

AFC can protect incumbents from interference with greater
certainty.

The availability, flexibility and reliability of AFC systems
help national regulatory authorities to meet the growing and very diverse
spectrum needs of both industries and individuals, while ensuring no
interference to incumbent services in shared bands.

“At a time when regulators are under increased pressure to
meet wireless connectivity demands, AFC is critical to enable more efficient
shared use of underutilized frequency bands while protecting incumbent services
from interference,” said Paul Garnett, Chairman of the DSA Board. “Automated
spectrum databases are now a proven means of achieving large-scale, low-cost,
and virtually real-time access to communications capacity that would otherwise
go unused.”

The U.S Federal Communications Commission is currently
considering the use of AFC systems to substantially increase spectrum capacity
in several bands for both licensed and unlicensed use. Similarly, the European
Union and UK currently have ongoing consultations to use AFC systems for
improved shared spectrum access.

Garnett concluded: “There has never been a better time for
regulators around the world to leverage AFC as a tool fuelling gigabit-fast
broadband networks and close the digital divide that persists in far too many
communities. The DSA looks forward to facilitating the global integration of
AFC to maximise spectrum management for the digital era.”

The report also reviews a number of emerging technological
advances that can further amplify the benefits provided by AFC, including the
addition of more detailed GIS data and real-time spectrum sensing data.

Later this year, the DSA will be holding its annual
regulatory event, the Global Summit. Bringing together key industry figures in spectrum
management to discuss and debate the most innovative technology solutions which
enable dynamic access across the world, it will be held June 26-27, 2019, at
The Westin Washington, Washington D.C.